Latest Texas Headlines

Recession? In South Central States it Depends Upon Where You Are

Apr 7 2008 // With some notable exceptions — southern Louisiana for one — the economies of the South Central states seem to be holding steady against the looming prospect of a nationwide recession. Populations are growing in...

Texas High Court: Insurers Can Use Defense Staff Attorneys in Some Cases

Apr 7 2008 // In a long awaited ruling, the Texas Supreme Court on March 28 handed down a 7-2 decision in Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee v. American Home Assurance Company Inc. and The Travelers Indemnity Company, approving the...

Apr 7 2008 // People Rob Arnold has been named president of Houston-based insurance wholesaler Myron Steves. Arnold has been a member of the Myron Steves management team since 1995 and has also served as director of Business...

Texas’ Minimum Auto Liability Limits Increase April 1

Apr 7 2008 // The minimum amount of automobile liability insurance Texas drivers are required to carry for bodily injury/property damage will increase on April 1 from $20,000/$40,000/$15,000 (20/40/15) coverage to 25/50/25 coverage,...

Ratings Recap: RSUI Group, Covington, AMERISAFE, Combined, UNAIC

Apr 4 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of RSUI Group and its members. Best also affirmed the ICR of...

New Texas Crash Reports Sans Victims’ Numbers Aim to Curb Scams

Apr 4 2008 // Police officers in Texas will have one less blank to fill out while investigating traffic accidents this year, the Texas Committee on Insurance Fraud reported. The form will no longer contain phone numbers for crash...

Texas Produce Association Earns Dividend from Texas Mutual

Apr 3 2008 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced that members of the Texas Produce Association (TPA) workers’ compensation purchasing group will share in a $53,732 dividend. The dividend is based largely on the group’s...

Texas Feb. Enforcements: Nearly $357K in Fines, Restitution

Apr 3 2008 // Enforcement actions taken by Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during February include four license revocations, three license denials, and fines and restitution totaling $356,925, the Texas...

Business Owner Sentenced for Workers’ Comp Fraud in Texas

Apr 2 2008 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that an Arp, Texas, business owner pled guilty in a workers’ compensation fraud-related case. A Travis County district court ordered Jerry Don Calicutt, owner of ZIPCO Services...

Page to Manage Higginbotham & Associates’ Austin Office

Apr 1 2008 // Texas-based independent insurance agency Higginbotham & Associates announced it has named Curtis W. Page as managing director of its Austin, Texas, office. Page, who joined Higginbotham January 2005, is an...

Texas Orders Bogus Windstorm Inspector to Cease and Desist

Apr 1 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) issued an emergency cease and desist order against Gary Garza of Corpus Christi, Texas, to prevent him from submitting windstorm inspection reports under false pretenses. Garza, who...

Texas Supreme Court: Use of Defense Staff Attorneys OK in Some Cases

Mar 31 2008 // In a long awaited ruling, the Texas Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision in Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee v. American Home Assurance Company, Inc and The Travelers Indemnity Company, approved the use of insurer...

Texas AG Settles With Pharmacy Company Over Identity Theft Charges

Mar 27 2008 // Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced an agreement with CVS Pharmacy Inc. that resolves the state’s April 2007 enforcement action against the nation’s largest retail pharmacy. CVS was charged with...

Texas Discount Rate and Interest Rate Set for Q3

Mar 27 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation announced that any workers’ compensation interest or discount will be at the rate of 4.82 percent for the third quarter of 2008. This rate is...

Schools Group, Manufacturers Association Earn Texas Mutual Dividends

Mar 26 2008 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced a $498,348 dividend to the Texas Schools Group (TSG) workers’ compensation purchasing group and a $65,128 dividend to the Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM) purchasing...

Dallas County Assistant DA Honored for Fighting Fraud, Arson

Mar 26 2008 // Kyson Johnson, a special assistant in the specialized crime division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, has been named Prosecutor of the Year by A Texas Advisory Council on Arson (ATAC). Johnson was...

Texas’ Minimum Auto Liability Limits to Increase on April 1

Mar 25 2008 // The minimum amount of automobile liability insurance Texas drivers are required to carry for bodily injury/property damage will increase on April 1 from the current $20,000/$40,000/$15,000 (“20/40/15”) coverage...

Oil and Gas Extraction Market Holds Solid Potential

Mar 24 2008 // While the oil and gas market can be seen as including pipeline and distribution operations, petroleum and petroleum product wholesalers, fuel oil dealers and even gas stations, the dominant North American Industry...

No Smoke: Elderly, Disabled Win in Boy Scout’s Quest for Eagle Award

Mar 24 2008 // Fourteen-year-old Buck John of Jefferson, Texas, wants to earn his Eagle Scout award and do something good for his community. His letter to Texas State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado may help him accomplish both. Buck’s...

Business Moves

Mar 24 2008 // Texas Farmers Insurance Company Texas Farmers Insurance Company filed a rate increase for its “Texas Family Home Policy” with the Texas Department of Insurance. The increase would impact 200,000 customers or...